Yankees’ Aaron Boone sounds off on Anthony Volpe’s potential position change

The New York Yankees have been off to a strong start in the 2026 MLB regular season; they moved to 23-11 on the season after demolishing the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday to the tune of an 11-3 victory. They are definitely meaning business: even with Anthony Volpe on the precipice of returning from injury, the Yankees decided to option him first to the minors, perhaps to avoid disrupting the rhythm of the big-league team.

This is a huge move from the Yankees, as Volpe has been their starting shortstop over the past three seasons and it’s a big deal that he isn’t immediately re-assuming his place in the starting lineup.

However, the problem is that the Yankees already have a shortstop in Triple-A — with top prospect George Lombard Jr. manning the position. Nonetheless, New York wants Volpe to stay ready at shortstop, as manager Aaron Boone said that he will be displacing Lombard from his more natural position.

“No, he’s getting ready to play shortstop,” Boone said of Volpe, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

The Yankees know that they might have to rely on Volpe at some point in the season, as he can provide solid pop and defense at shortstop. He has always been a bit error-prone, but he has considerable range in the infield and he is a source of home runs for New York.

At present, the Yankees are relying on Jose Caballero to hold down the fort at short. Caballero, the team’s acquisition at the 2025 trade deadline, has been more than reliable for the team. He entered their Sunday win over the Orioles sporting an OPS of .719 to go along with an fWAR tally of 0.8.

Caballero’s emergence as a starting-caliber shortstop should light a fire underneath Volpe, as Volpe will have to step it up if he were to retake his place on the big-league squad.

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